WOMEN should feel comfortable and beautiful in their skin, no matter their size. Though society isn’t always receptive to this message, CEO and founder of Okoye By Kim, Kim Butcher, is on a mission to change the narrative while simultaneously empowering entrepreneurs to unleash their full potential.

A project specialist in Barbados’s Office of the Prime Minister, Butcher works alongside one of Time Magazine’s most influential leaders of 2022, Mia Mottley. She holds a master’s degree in event management and has taught at all levels for about 15 years.

In keeping with her passions, back in 2016 she established the Event Project, a company that offers consultancy, educational, and event management services. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and businesses like Butcher’s took a terrible blow, she quickly realised how fragile it is to rely on single-source income. As a means for herself and others to make use of their skills and talents amid the global health crisis, she launched Okoye by Kim in 2020, a lifestyle brand offering obi wrap belts which give women the confidence to celebrate their shape.

The wrap belts — available in a variety of colours and designs — are 130 inches long, adjustable to any size, reversible, easily customisable, and handmade using sustainably sourced fabrics. They accentuate one’s waist, promote better posture, and help save money due to their versatility. Speaking proudly about her business, Butcher explained, “We want women to go back to their wardrobe and realise they have beautiful pieces which our belts can elevate by adding colour, texture and structure. Also, we want women to ‘wear their waists’; we want them to celebrate who they are authentically where they’re not just wearing a belt that will elevate their look but they are now a part of a movement of women who are confident about their bodies and their beauty.”

“Okoye”, a Nigerian word, means strength, resilience and marketplace. To Butcher, while it signifies the brand’s desire to inspire confidence in women, it also represents its vision to inspire creatives to realise that they have what it takes to pursue any of their entrepreneurial interests.

“I always believed in using all of my skills and talents,” Butcher said. “Every professional experience that I’ve had working has given me a set of tools, skills and competencies which I’ve now applied to my business. There isn’t one experience that hasn’t contributed to where I am now — and that is one of the messages I try to share with other entrepreneurs, that success in business is the sum of a lot of moving parts.”

Living her message through example, Butcher wanted to experience RevUP’s Cohort 2 virtual incubation programme which she read about in a Barbadian newspaper. The five-month training programme promised to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge, support and insights needed to reach their business goals. “It was a credible, dynamic programme that absolutely delivered. It was not easy but the passion and commitment of Sandra Glasgow [RevUp’s founder] kept our interest while competent professionals guided the sessions. My takeaways were so many every week and I now have an extended family in Jamaica that I absolutely love and adore. I can’t measure the value that they have added to my life and my existence.”

Coming out of the experience, she hopes to become the first angel investor in Barbados through RevUP and has also gained greater insight into achieving her goal of bringing other types of accessories on board to Okoye By Kim. Apart from her profession and business, she also works as the co-producer and host of a TV series called Buy From Bout Hey which provides a platform for Barbadian entrepreneurs to tell their stories. Butcher hopes that from her influence and experiences shared more entrepreneurs will pursue training opportunities like she did which will see their businesses thrive.